A lonely Purple Geranium

The threatened inclement weather didn't materialise today, which Pip had spotted yesterday before he rang to say he would come and help me in our garden. He arrived at 9-30am ready for coffee having been up since 5-30am! He also brought an offering from his garden, a shoot from his big banana plant! It wasn't long before he dragged me out to the garden to sort out my raised beds which have been languishing somewhat since I had my accident.

There was a little drizzle which brought my grass cutting to a halt, but soon after the sun came out to warm us as we cleared, cleansed and dug for victory. I couldn't have managed without his help, but now feel anything is possible. We moved the new soil I have been storing at the front of the house onto the freshly dug soil in the raised beds, mixed it with some well rotted compost and all I now need to do is to mix the various soils together whilst lifting out the remaining roots, stones and other debris still lurking in the soil. So thank you very much, Pip, my dear and 'old friend', and I hope I can bring you fresh food from that soil in due course.

After he had gone, I rested for a while, before making a couple of G'n'Ts for Helena and I. I went out to the cabin to imbibe in the late afternoon sunshine, with my camera round my neck and an unreasonable expectation of a bird blip to come. This morning we had seen a Woodpecker at the peanut feeder hanging from the Rhus tree, with its young offspring. It was demonstrating how to get nuts from the protective mesh of the feeder then taking it to the trunk of the tree and showing how to crush the nut, before then putting it in the mouth of the baby bird.

Sadly only a couple fo tits and a bullfinch came to visit. On my way in to start cooking supper I spotted this small Purple Geranium which I had rescued from the greenhouse yesterday. I love the colour purple so resorted to catching it in the fading light and in the strong winds which meant a sharp shot was rather difficult. It is still blowing hard now heralding changing weather yet again for the weekend, I fear.